The present invention generally relates to multi-media scheduling systems, and more particularly to a multi-media scheduling system which schedules multi-media applications using an operating system of a computer.
There exists a strong demand to develop and execute multi-media applications in existing operating system to improve the human interface. For example, sound or music, which is a kind of medium, is realized by transmitting data and commands to a device with accurate timings. In this case, if the operation to the device is delayed, the original rhythm of the music is lost. Accordingly, unlike the existing applications, the multi-media applications must guarantee continuity of each media.
The scheduling of the conventional operating system is carried out based on priority. The scheduling is such that program execution is made in sequence starting from the program with the highest priority.
If the scheduling of the multi-media applications is made based on the priority, the application of the medium having the greatest time restriction must be treated as having the highest priority. However, although the scheduling of multi-media applications may be possible for a small number of media, the conventional scheduling system cannot cope with the scheduling of multi-media applications if the number of media is large. If the number of media is large, the data processing capability of the computer becomes limited and there is a problem in that it no longer becomes possible to satisfy the time restriction of each medium.
Accordingly, there is a demand to realize a scheduling system which can satisfactorily schedule multi-media applications while satisfying the time restriction of each medium, even when the number of media is large.